Jean-Philippe Iberti
Jean-Philippe Iberti co-founded La Colombe Coffee Roasters with Todd Carmichael in 1994. They met in Seattle in the mid-1980s and started roasting coffee in a third-floor walk-up on 21st and Spruce in Philadelphia. La Colombe helped define America's third wave of specialty coffee.
Jean-Philippe Iberti's Bio
Jean-Philippe Iberti co-founded La Colombe Coffee Roasters, the Philadelphia-based specialty coffee roaster that helped define third-wave coffee in America. Born in Nice, France, he grew up in a family where his father ran a fruit and vegetable supply business. Iberti moved to Seattle in the mid-1980s for flight school, training out of Boeing Field.
While in Seattle he worked as a barista at Torre Fassione Italia, the city's top coffee roaster, and earned his flight instructor certification in 1990. Coffee had already taken hold. When the owner sold the business in 1993, Iberti chose coffee over flying.
He reconnected with a Seattle friend, Todd Carmichael, and they committed to starting their own company. They named it La Colombe after a bed-and-breakfast in Iberti's hometown of Saint-Paul-de-Vence—the dove symbol fit their ambition to elevate American coffee. They opened in Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square in 1994 and had Le Bec-Fin as a customer within days.
A New York City outpost opened in 2007, and Iberti and Carmichael brought in private equity for the first time. The relationship soured fast—investors wanted 200 new cafes while Iberti and Carmichael were focused on ready-to-drink coffee. When the board rejected their cold brew idea, they bought out the investors with backing from Chobani founder Hamdi Ulukaya. That bet produced the Draft Latte, now in roughly one in three U.S. grocery stores. In 2023, Chobani acquired La Colombe outright for $900 million.
Career Timeline
1986 — Moved to Seattle for flight school
Relocated from Nice, France to Seattle, Washington to attend flight school, training out of Boeing Field.
1987 — Began working as barista at Torre Fassione Italia
Took a barista job at Seattle's top coffee roaster while attending flight school, sparking a lasting passion for coffee.
1990 — Earned flight instructor certification
Graduated from flight school and became a certified flight instructor, though coffee had already begun to dominate his focus.
1993 — Left Torre Fassione Italia after ownership change
The cafe was sold, and Iberti decided to pursue coffee professionally rather than continue flying.
1994 — Co-founded La Colombe Coffee Roasters
Opened first location in Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square with Todd Carmichael, naming it after a bed-and-breakfast in Iberti's French hometown.
2007 — Opened New York City location and secured first private equity investment at La Colombe Coffee Roasters
Launched the first New York City cafe and raised private equity for the first time, beginning a period of rapid national expansion.
2012 — Launched Draft Latte ready-to-drink line at La Colombe Coffee Roasters
Introduced the nitrogen-infused Draft Latte, which became a national grocery-store staple and now appears in roughly one in three U.S. stores.
2023 — La Colombe acquired by Chobani for $900 million at La Colombe Coffee Roasters
Chobani acquired La Colombe outright for $900 million, following years of partnership with Chobani founder Hamdi Ulukaya.
